Understanding Managed Services & Why You Need It

To understand what managed services are means breaking it down into two words: “managed” and “services”. Therefore, managed services refer to IT services provided by a third-party to operate an organization’s IT Operations. These services may include everything from providing and managing hardware such as desktops servers, routers and switches, to managing software such as applications, operating systems and firewalls, and managing network infrastructure. 

There are various reasons why your organisation should outsource the management of their operations to third-party providers. Managed services enable organisations to:

1. Improve efficiency and reliability of IT operations

Some businesses lack the resources and skills to handle an entire operations. Compared to getting your in-house IT staff to dedicate extra time to learning the ropes and overburdening them with additional tasks, it is much more efficient and reliable to work with a third-party IT provider who already know what to do. They won’t be replacing your in-house IT staff, but they help to enhance your capabilities and free up your in-house team to focus on other strategic priorities.

2. Ensure the network has the latest technologies and equipment

Collaborating with a managed service provider also means that you get to enjoy the benefits of their technologies and innovative solutions to maximise uptime and profitability, while keeping your operating costs low. These technologies include cloud computing, backup and disaster recovery and remote monitoring and management – and managed service providers also be able to supplement latest technologies and equipment.

3. Reduce cost and increase ROI

As mentioned earlier, aside from being able to save on the costs of capital expense and managing IT resources, managed services also provide your business with scalability and flexibility to grow. This is because you will be paying for a predictable fixed monthly expense for IT operations, so you can plan for expansion and new developmental projects without being bogged down by mundane operational tasks.

4. Enhance security and compliance

Security and compliance are always a major concern for businesses. Falling victim to a security breach can lead to a huge financial loss, and worse, cost your company your hard-earned clients’ trust. Managed service providers can help to protect your business from a security breach as they can act quickly should any unwanted events occur. Additionally, they can also supplement additional policies, protocols, and procedures to ensure your company’s compliance to regulations, especially if you are in the legal and health industry.

5. Worry less about maintenance

Managing everything in-house means you must constantly worry about and see to issues like hardware uptime and performance  daily. By engaging a managed service provider, you will be delegating the task of detecting potential problems and downtime, which gives you the luxury of 24/7 service coverage – every day. Managed service providers will also take care of regular and encrypted backups, virtualisation and cloud computing, so you don’t have to worry about things like setting reminders for data backups.

If you’d like to take a step towards streamlining your business’ IT operations and learn more about managed network services, contact EKTECH today. Our team of experts are always happy to answer any questions you have.